The traffic circle at the entrance to Evander on Bram Fisher (stet) Drive, near the Sasol filling station, has raised safety concerns following several crashes in the area.

A concerned resident claims inadequate road signage does not give motorists enough warning of the traffic circle.

The resident is particularly concerned about motorists approaching from the town centre, including visitors and those unfamiliar with the area, who may not realise a traffic circle is ahead because of the lack of clear signage.

“I think this is a reason for crashes at this traffic circle,” said the resident.

He also alleged that the filling station placed several large rocks inside the traffic circle as barriers after motorists reportedly drove over the circle and crashed through the filling station’s clear-view fence.

“These large and heavy rocks are dangerous. They also damage the road surface because a pickup truck drags them back into position. I saw this myself after someone had bumped one of these boulders onto the road,” said the resident.

He is concerned that a motorist following another vehicle may have little time to react if the vehicle ahead strikes or dislodges a rock, leaving the following motorist with an unexpected obstacle in their path.

The resident said the risk could be greater at night, when visibility is reduced and motorists may struggle to see the traffic circle, the rocks, or the direction they are expected to travel.

The resident questioned why, while the rocks have been placed as a deterrent, there are not clearer road signs indicating the traffic circle and chevron signs showing motorists that they must keep left, particularly at night.

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The Ridge Times spoke to the owner of the Sasol filling station, Kosie van der Merwe, who said the rocks had been in the circle for several years and that he did not know who originally placed them there.

Van der Merwe confirmed that numerous crashes have occurred at the traffic circle over the years, with vehicles ploughing through the filling station’s clear-view fencing. He said the repeated damage has forced him to pay for fence repairs.

“Fuel gets delivered. Fuel pipes are open, and fumes are present. Imagine a motorist crashing through the fence and into the fuel tanks,” said Van der Merwe.

According to Van der Merwe, many of the crashes at the traffic circle have involved drivers who appeared severely intoxicated.

He said the municipality had previously been asked for speed humps and more visible road signage, but nothing had come of the requests. Van der Merwe is also concerned about motorists speeding along Bram Fisher Drive.

“If it weren’t for those rocks, I would be fixing my fence every month,” said Van der Merwe.

He maintained that the rocks only endanger motorists who do not follow the rules of the road. In Van der Merwe’s opinion, the boulders should remain in place as they could help prevent more serious accidents involving the filling station’s fuel infrastructure.

Govan Mbeki Municipality spokesperson Donald Green said Traffic Services would assess concerns about signage and road markings at the Bram Fisher Drive traffic circle to determine whether additional road safety measures are needed.

Green said the municipality’s official accident reporting system recorded no accidents at the traffic circle between January 1 and October 9 this year. He confirmed that the municipality had previously removed the rocks, but they had subsequently been placed there again.

Traffic Services and By-Law Enforcement had investigated the matter and engaged nearby businesses, which denied responsibility for placing the rocks.

The municipality is pursuing further investigations, including obtaining available CCTV footage, and is working with the Community Policing Forum and SAPS to identify those responsible.

Green said the municipality remained committed to road safety and would prioritise intervention if any condition was identified as posing an immediate danger to road users.

Green also submitted photographs showing road signs warning motorists of the approaching traffic circle, both at the entrance to Evander and on the approach from the town side.

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